I've got a couple questions regarding the HOUDINI_PATH variable. (In the apprentice version with Windows 2000).

First, is HOUDINI_PATH a user definable variable? When I'm in Houdini if I set HOUDINI_PATH = @ in the Alias/Variables menu, then try to open a file like final_rollercoaster.hip. I get a ton of error messages saying Houdini can't find itself anymore. From the scripting help file I was under the impression that @ is a special character that equals the internal value of HOUDINI_PATH, like $HIP:$HFS etc. Is there a proper way to set HOUDINI_PATH that I'm missing?

Second question concerning HOUDINI_PATH. I'll use final_rollercoaster.hip as an example. When I load up the file my $HIP variable gets set to “DlearningData/training_rollercoaster/training_files/hip”. Which is fine. But under the coaster_car SOP there are “errors”. Certain pieces of geometry can't be found. For the seat, the file op tries to open a file using “../geo/seat.bgeo”. The file is actually there but Houdini can't find it. If I change the file name to “$HIP/../geo/seat.bgeo” it works fine and dandy. My question is should “../geo/seat.bgeo” work? Is my HOUDINI_PATH is not working as expected? I don't have HOUDINI_PATH as a systemwide env. variable because I thought that Houdini had a default value of "$HIP:$HOME/houdiniXX:$HSITE…..etc..etc….

Any ideas?

J. Price

Hi,

There is no need to set HOUDINI_PATH. Please unset it and everything will be fine.

Cheers!
steven

Sorry, I'm having these problems without the HOUDINI_PATH set (anywhere). I was in a hurry when I posted the topic so I didn't make that part clear, sorry. When I said I set HOUDINI_PATH = @ and other stuff, those were my failed attempts at trying to get it work correctly. My problem is with how Houdini handles the default path.

Quickie example.
two directories in Ctemp
hip and bgeo.
Ctemp/hip <- Hip files here
Ctemp/bgeo <- geometry here.

if $HIP = Ctemp/hip
and $HIP is part of the HOUDINI_PATH
will “../bgeo/model.bgeo” in a file op work?
The training_rollercoaster.hip file is setup this way. I also believe it should work. But it doesn't unless I change it to $HIP/../bgeo/model.bgeo
So is the training_rollercoaster demo files incorrect or something else?

J. Price

Hi,

With your example, the reason why “../bgeo/model.bgeo” doesn't work is because “../” is relative to the path where you started Houdini, which is your HOME directory by default.

$HOME is “CDocuments and Settings/your_login_name”, if it is not set.

Hence, “../bgeo/model.bgeo” expands to “CDocuments and Settings/bgeo/model.bgeo” which doesn't exist.

“$HIP/../bgeo/model.bgeo” works because it expands into “Ctemp/bgeo/model.bgeo”.

I highly recommend clicking on the ‘+’ button to bring up the file browser & browsing to where the element (element here being geometry, texture maps etc) is. This way, Houdini will know where to find the element the next time.

Let's look at the example again:

You saved the file with “$HIP/../bgeo/model.bgeo” but the next time you start Houdini, the hip file is in Dtemp/hip. Now what happens? Houdini will complain that it can't find the file because “$HIP/../bgeo/model.bgeo” expands to “Dtemp/bgeo/model.bgeo” which doesn't exist.

I hope the above helps!

Cheers!
steven